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- Title
Host specificity in sponge-encrusting zoanthidea (Anthozoa: Zoantharia) of Barbados, West Indies.
- Authors
Crocker, L.; Reiswig, H.
- Abstract
Six species of common Caribbean Zoanthidea, Parazoanthus swiftii, P. parasiticus, P. catenularis, P. puertoricense, Epizoanthus cutressi, and Epizoanthus sp., are virtually restricted to living on surfaces of reef-dwelling sponges. Quantitative surveys on Barbados reefs indicate that substrate specificity is relatively high among these zoanthids with three restricted to a single primary host sponge species and three restricted to three closely related sponges. One species, P. swiftii, exhibits a broad range of acceptable secondary substrates, due to its unique ability to execute migrational spread in the adult polyp stage. Variations in substrate specificity have been noted between island populations within the extensive Caribbean range and appear to be due to different species compositions of local sponge communities and slight differences in zoanthid larval settling specificities.
- Subjects
INVERTEBRATES; ZOANTHARIA; ANTHOZOA; ZOANTHINARIA; ANIMAL species
- Publication
Marine Biology, 1981, Vol 65, Issue 3, p231
- ISSN
0025-3162
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/BF00397116